Mark Christiansen's Art and Cartoon Blog

BOZO'S CIRCUS/ WGN STUFF

2012-01-22T08:56:00.000-08:00

THE PREMIERE OF MY NEW COMIC STRIP, "DALTON DOG"!

2011-12-13T14:33:00.000-08:00

Today marks the launch of my brand-new comic strip, DALTON DOG , on the Comics Sherpa website. Dalton is a big and lovable, but not-too-bright canine who is owned by the Hartford family. Simple commands like "sit up" or "lie down" are complete puzzles to Dalton, which is no surprise...so far, he's flunked obedience school five times! The Hartfords love him, to be sure, but they're also frustrated by his lack of intelligence. He's just a puppy who has never grown up! Be sure to check out the daily comic updates!

SID SIRLOIN SOUNDTRACK LP!

2011-09-27T15:44:00.000-07:00

MISCELLANEOUS ROUGH CHARACTER DESIGNS

2011-09-15T22:01:00.000-07:00

ERIC CLARK'S WEBSITE!

2011-08-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

I want you to know about my pal Eric Clark's website, here , which showcases this very talented artist's amazing layouts, paintings and designs. Eric has worked for Dreamworks, Warner Bros. and Hanna-Barbera as a background designer and prop designer. On top of all that talent, he is a great guy to work with as well! So, check out his fantastic site today and enjoy!

LANCE FALK'S BLOG!

2011-08-18T06:34:00.000-07:00

Be sure to check out the new website of my pal, Lance Falk, who has worked as a writer and artist at a number of animation studios, including Hanna-Barbera, Warner Bros. and SD Entertainment. Over the years, Lance has been involved in projects featuring many of the classic cartoon characters, such as the Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, Pink Panther and Johnny Quest (his personal favorite). When you visit his site, you'll have the opportunity to peruse his artwork galleries, read his animation scripts or check out his blog postings, which in the future will probably cover his passion for James Bond, Marvel and DC Comics, Disneyland and just pop culture in general. So, check it out today and enjoy. Congratulations on your new website, Lance!

SID SIRLOIN GOLD KEY COMIC

2011-08-10T09:02:00.000-07:00

FOX AND PIG CHARACTER CONCEPTS

2011-07-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

CHARACTER DESIGNS: PIRATES AND MEECES

2011-07-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

IVAN CAMILLI'S BLOG!

2011-07-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already, be sure to check out my friend Ivan Camilli's blog. Ivan has worked for Disney Feature Animation, Warner Bros. Animation, Playhouse Pictures, etc. and has also worked as an illustrator. He's also one of the nicest persons you will ever meet. So go ahead and see some of his fine cartoons and other good stuff simply by clicking on the above link!

PAT VENTURA'S BLOG!

2011-07-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

My friend, Pat Ventura, has just launched his great new blog! Pat is an animation director, writer, animator, storyboard artist and character designer who has worked for Disney, Warner Bros., Universal, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and Hanna-Barbera, to name a few. In fact, Pat wrote and directed cartoon shorts for the "What A Cartoon" program on CN, and he is now sharing his designs for those cartoons on his blog. So if you're looking for some good cartoony fun, check out Pat's blog today!

ILLUSTRATION

2011-05-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER!

2011-04-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

BULLWINKLE ILLUSTRATION

2011-04-11T05:57:00.000-07:00

Here is an illustration I just did of Jay Ward's great TV cartoon character, Bullwinkle.

MARK LEWIS HAS A WEBSITE!

2010-12-31T09:10:00.000-08:00

My friend Mark Lewis has just launched his new website at marklewisdraws.com. Mark is a superb artist in the animation industry who has worked for such studios as Warner Bros. Animation and SD Entertainment. He has also lent his talents to the world of comic books. Mark is one of those gifted artists who can draw both the humorous or "cartoony" characters, and also the realistic or superhero style of characters. On top of all this, Mark is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. He is a generous artist and a solid professional who is an asset to any studio he works for. So, visit his website and peruse his great gallery work! Congratulations on your new site, Mark!

LAW DOGS

2010-10-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

THE FLINTSTONES 50TH ANNIVERSARY!

2010-09-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

I created the above illustration based on The Flintstones premiere episode, The Flintstone Flyer. The characters are owned and copyrighted by Hanna-Barbera and Warner Bros.

CHARACTER DESIGNS-1940s STYLE

2010-09-09T07:22:00.000-07:00

I was just having a little fun here creating these character designs in the classic 1940s Hollywood cartoon style:

MISCELLANEOUS ROUGH CHARACTER DESIGNS

2010-05-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

LIZARD ILLUSTRATION

2010-04-12T18:37:00.000-07:00

It was reported last week that a new lizard species was discovered in the Philippines. This reptile, which is related to the carnivorous Komodo dragon, is strictly a fruit eater. Well, maybe so, but this critter is over 6 feet in length, and if I ever see one of these the next time my wife and I are visiting the Philippines, I'll be hightailing it in the other direction!

HAPPY EASTER!

2010-04-04T06:46:00.000-07:00

On the very top is my illustration of Peter Cottontail. Below that is an Easter Sunday B.C. comic strip by Johnny Hart celebrating Jesus' Resurrection, which is what Easter is all about. By the way, this strip was taken from the book, I Did It His Way, which you can buy here. It's a collection of Johnny Hart's Bible-themed strips. Have a wonderful Easter, everyone!

INSECT CHARACTER DESIGN

2010-03-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

"MOLLY AND THE BEAR" by BOB SCOTT

2010-03-13T07:31:00.000-08:00

My friend Bob Scott is the creator of a funny and beautifully drawn comic strip titled, Molly and the Bear, which is published on the GoComics website. Bob, who is a superb artist and animator at Pixar, launched his strip in January of 2009. One can tell just by looking at the strong poses and appealing drawings, that this comic is from the hand of a skilled animator like Bob. In addition to the many animation studios he has worked for (Disney, Warner Bros., Turner, Dreamworks, Marvel and Don Bluth) Bob has also worked in the world of comic strips, including stints on Jim Davis' Garfield and U.S. Acres strips, and on the Bugs Bunny strip for Warner Bros.

Molly and the Bear is fun to read, fun to look at and can be enjoyed by the whole family. To me, that exemplifies what comic strips should be about. Incidentally, when you visit Bob's page over at Comics Sherpa, be sure also to check out and enjoy the past Molly and the Bear strips that you've missed! Best wishes to you, Bob, and thanks for creating such a great comic strip!

HEY THERE, IT'S YOGI BEAR!

2010-03-01T16:52:00.000-08:00

I created these Yogi Bear character art pieces for Jellystone Park Campgrounds around six years ago.

ROUGH COLOR CONCEPT OF COWBOY CHARACTER DESIGN

2010-02-21T12:46:00.000-08:00

VALENTINE'S DAY WITH THE FLINTSTONES

2010-02-14T13:31:00.000-08:00

In celebration of Valentine's Day, I created this illustration of Hanna-Barbera's Fred and Wilma Flintstone characters. Be sure to buy your sweetie a box of rock candy (or See's Candies like the one I got for my sweetheart wife, Annette!) Happy Valentine's Day!

SUPERBOWL!

2010-02-07T16:37:00.000-08:00

DON'T FORGET...

2010-02-01T22:20:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Groundhog Day, so don't forget to buy a special gift for your favorite woodchuck!

ROUGH CHARACTER DESIGN CONCEPT: LESTER

2010-01-17T08:22:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES ZOO ROUGH ANIMAL SKETCHES FROM 7 YEARS AGO

2010-01-09T14:31:00.000-08:00

LOONEY TUNES ART: BUGS BUNNY, PORKY PIG, DAFFY DUCK and TWEETY

2010-01-05T07:44:00.000-08:00

Warner Bros. Marketing asked me to draw the above Bugs Bunny art for a motion picture industry trade paper. The purpose of the image was to honor a Warner Bros. executive, whose photograph was to appear within the picture frame that Bugs is holding.

Here are more Looney Tunes drawings, some of which were created while I was at Warner Bros. Consumer Products:

2010 IS HERE!

2010-01-01T06:13:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I know it's a corny pun, but I really enjoyed creating this illustration! Happy New Year to all of you!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2009-12-24T18:57:00.000-08:00

A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE

2009-12-17T17:15:00.001-08:00

MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL EVENT THIS SATURDAY!

2009-12-16T11:44:00.000-08:00

If you live in the Los Angeles area, then you should definitely attend the screening of Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol, this coming Saturday, December 19th, at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica at 4:00pm. A panel discussion will follow, featuring author and animation director, Darrell Van Citters, who wrote the brand-new book on the making of the classic Magoo Christmas special. If you haven't picked up a copy of the book already, then you must do so. It is a beautifully illustrated and well-written account of what it took to get Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol on the air. I'm grateful that Darrell was the one who undertook the task of getting this book published. His passion for the material and his animation background are evident throughout this work. I guarantee you will highly enjoy it. Please click on the above image for more information, and have a great time at the screening!

MISCELLANEOUS ROUGH CHARACTER DESIGN SKETCHES

2009-12-14T15:23:00.000-08:00

HERE COMES SANTY CLAUS

2009-12-02T09:18:00.001-08:00

TURKEY LURKEY

2009-11-25T10:53:00.001-08:00

A BOY AND HIS LION

2009-11-19T14:14:00.000-08:00

This is an illustration for one of my concepts.

SECRET SQUIRREL CONCEPT

2009-11-05T10:15:00.001-08:00

I created this piece about seven years ago while I was a Senior Character Artist at Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

UNDERDOG ILLUSTRATION

2009-11-02T14:32:00.000-08:00

ANNOUNCER CHARACTER DESIGN

2009-10-29T14:53:00.001-07:00

ANIMAL SCOUTS CHARACTER DESIGN CONCEPTS

2009-10-19T15:40:00.000-07:00

WEDNESDAY ILLUSTRATION

2009-10-07T05:26:00.001-07:00

DOG FOOD COMMERCIAL "CEL"

2009-09-26T06:10:00.001-07:00

In this illustration, I wanted to capture the look and style of the 1950s animated television commercials.

MORE CARTOON NETWORK CHARACTER DESIGNS

2009-09-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

These Cartoon Network character designs were also done about 3 1/2 years ago. The script called for some "disgruntled animators" who were working at an animation studio in this particular episode. The assignment was fun, however these designs were never used and did not appear in the show. By the way, the red pencil markings on the drawings are simply "registration marks" which indicate where the background would have been in relation to the characters. Enjoy!

DOG DAZE

2009-09-10T09:56:00.001-07:00

I was just having a little fun here designing some St. Bernard characters.

CARTOON NETWORK CHARACTER DESIGNS

2009-09-07T18:55:00.000-07:00

Here are my character designs for a Cartoon Network series. I had fun drawing these characters, but I don't think any of them made it into the show. These were done about 3 1/2 years ago.

MONKEY BUSINESS

2009-09-01T08:38:00.001-07:00

Here are a few monkey character design concepts that I came up with.

ANOTHER SOLDIER CHARACTER DESIGN/ ILLUSTRATION

2009-08-20T07:32:00.001-07:00

SOLDIER CHARACTER DESIGN/ ILLUSTRATION

2009-08-18T20:59:00.001-07:00

2009-08-17T21:32:00.001-07:00

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD DESIGN CONCEPTS

2009-08-06T07:24:00.001-07:00

YOGI, HUCK AND QUICK DRAW CONCEPTS

2009-08-02T20:31:00.000-07:00

I created the art above while I was a senior character artist at Warner Bros. Consumer Products. As you can see, I explored using Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw, Baba Looey and Boo Boo with both their traditional appearance and an exagerrated look.

ROUGH CHARACTER DESIGN SKETCHES

2009-07-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

FOUR KIDS AND A DOG

2009-07-12T18:07:00.000-07:00

BUGS BUNNY CONCEPTS FOR WARNER BROS.

2009-07-03T20:43:00.001-07:00

I drew the top two Bugs Bunny rough concepts and the final inked drawing above for Warner Bros. International about six years ago. The final inked version has been posted on this blog already, so that's why it looks familiar. I had completely forgotten that I kept color photocopies of my rough drawings, which I just discovered at home today.

As you can see, WB decided to go with the second concept. I recall that as I was finishing up the inking, WB called me and asked that I add Tweety to the art. So I quickly roughed out a Tweety drawing on a separate piece of paper before inking him. That's why he isn't on the original sketches...just in case you were wondering.

FRANCESCA

2009-06-28T18:35:00.001-07:00

Rankin-Bass historian Rick Goldschmidt asked me(as well as some other very talented artists), to come up with our interpretation of one of the characters from Mad Monster Party. The art will be included as a bonus feature in the upcoming DVD release of that film. I chose Francesca, and not being very familiar with the film, I had to scour the internet for images of her. Thanks for asking me to participate in this project, Rick!

YOUNG WOMAN CHARACTER DESIGN/ILLUSTRATION

2009-06-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

GIRL HOLDING DOG ILLUSTRATION

2009-06-16T17:06:00.001-07:00

MICKEY MOUSE SKETCHES THAT I DREW RECENTLY

2009-06-10T19:39:00.001-07:00

BUGS BUNNY SHOW DVD COVER ILLUSTRATION

2009-06-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

This is my take on what the DVD box art for The Bugs Bunny Show might look like if it is ever released by Warner Bros. Home Video.

ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE ILLUSTRATION

2009-05-25T22:03:00.000-07:00

Here's an illustration I did featuring the Jay Ward characters Rocky, Bullwinkle, Duddley Do Right, Mr. Peabody, Sherman, Boris Badenov and Natasha.

FLINTSTONES CARD

2009-05-14T06:37:00.001-07:00

Over the years I've made birthday cards for my nephew Eric, usually featuring established cartoon characters. The Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble art above was for a "hello" card that I made for him when he was much younger (he'll be graduating from high school in a couple of weeks). As we live over two thousand miles apart, a card like this was my way of letting him know that I was thinking about him. Congratulations on your graduation, Eric! The Flintstones characters are owned and copyrighted by Hanna-Barbera and Warner Bros.

WOODY WOODPECKER ILLUSTRATION

2009-05-10T20:41:00.001-07:00

Woody Woodpecker is owned and copyrighted by Walter Lantz and NBC-Universal.

BABY PINK PANTHER CONCEPTS

2009-05-07T21:22:00.001-07:00

I designed these Baby Pink Panther concepts around six years ago for a design firm in New York that had a contract with MGM Studios, the owner of the Pink Panther character.

DETROIT TIGERS MASCOT DESIGN

2009-05-03T20:59:00.003-07:00

Here's another tiger-related post featuring my rough designs of the Detroit Tigers mascot.

TIGER CHARACTER DESIGN COLOR SKETCH

2009-04-28T00:06:00.000-07:00

This piece is based on a rough design I did about seven years ago.

STEWARDESS CHARACTER DESIGN COLOR SKETCH

2009-04-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

My wife and I returned home Monday night after a two-week visit with her family in the Philippines. Here is a color character sketch of a stewardess to start things off while I attempt to get over my jet lag!

A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF!

2009-04-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

I won't be able to post anything new until April 21 or 22, so here is a bunch of artwork I created for myself and for the studios. Enjoy, and I'll see you soon!

WARNER BROS. CONSUMER PRODUCTS ART:
(Note: All of the characters below are owned and copyrighted by Warner Bros.)

HANNA-BARBERA ART FOR WBCP:
(Note: All of the characters below are owned and copyrighted by Hanna-Barbera and Warner Bros.)

PRESENTATION ART:

Dorothy and the Oz Castaways is an idea I pitched in 2008 to several studios. The premise had Dorothy moving from Kansas to Los Angeles with her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. One day, the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion decided to visit Dorothy in L.A., but the balloon they arrived in was destroyed upon landing there. Hence, the trio was stuck in Los Angeles while they tried to find a way to return to Oz.

"AL"

2009-03-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if Al is a mechanic, plumber or TV repairman. This marker and prismacolor pencil sketch grew out of a recent sketchbook doodle.

WOLF and PIG CONCEPTS/ DESIGNS

2009-03-21T07:19:00.001-07:00

TOP CAT CONCEPT

2009-03-15T19:19:00.001-07:00

Another piece from my Warner Bros. Consumer Products days. Top Cat is owned and copyrighted by WB and Hanna-Barbera.

SID SIRLOIN PUPPET

2009-03-15T18:42:00.001-07:00

Remember those plastic character hand puppets from your childhood? These are the puppets that were either sold or given away as promotional items through fast-food restaurants like McDonald's and Burger King or cereal companies such as Kellogg's. Well, I wanted to have some puppets manufactured in the likeness of my character Sid Sirloin, and then take them to the Wondercon in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago. However, the cost to have these produced would have been quite high, and did not fit within our budget. Above is the art for my Sid Sirloin hand puppet.

ROOSTER CONCEPT/ DESIGN

2009-03-10T22:45:00.001-07:00

HUCKLEBERRY HOUND DVD COVER CONCEPT

2009-03-04T22:29:00.001-08:00

Back in late 2002, I was asked to participate in a discussion at Warner Bros. Home Video regarding which Hanna-Barbera cartoon shows should be released on DVD. Before the meeting, I took it upon myself to create a mock DVD box cover for The Huckleberry Hound Show. While designing and illustrating it, I was trying to imagine what the box art for this show might have looked like if DVDs had existed in 1958 (minus my blog address, of course!).

BUGS BUNNY GONDOLIER

2009-03-03T20:26:00.001-08:00

This is an oldie. About six years ago, a Warner Bros. marketing group (I think the international division) hired me to rough out and ink an image of Bugs Bunny and Tweety with a gondola. I believe the art was going to be used at some trade show, but I honestly don't remember. So I roughed out the concept on paper and then inked it in Adobe Illustrator. That's all folks!

BACK FROM WONDERCON

2009-03-02T22:56:00.001-08:00

Thank you to everyone who stopped by my booth at the Wondercon this past weekend. It was great meeting all of you, and your kind comments regarding my work are truly appreciated. I hope you all had a fun time as well!

ENGINEER BEAR DESIGN CONCEPT

2009-02-17T20:27:00.000-08:00

I first sketched this out with paper and pencil, and created the finished art in Illustrator.

ANIMATION MAGAZINE FEATURES SID SIRLOIN!

2009-01-22T05:43:00.000-08:00

Ramin Zahed, who is Editor-in-Chief of Animation Magazine, has written a very kind review of my self-published book, "Sid Sirloin and His Friends". The review appears in the "Books We Love" section of the publication. So go out to your favorite newsstand and purchase the current issue(the one with Disney's Bolt on the cover) and check out all of the great articles and reviews! Click here, http://www.animationmagazine.net, to subscribe so you won't miss any future issues!

Thank you, Ramin, for your generosity in featuring my book in such a prestigious publication!

MY WIZARD OF OZ ROUGH DESIGN CONCEPTS

2009-01-18T21:11:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my Wizard of Oz rough character design concepts:

LION DESIGN POSES

2008-10-20T21:39:00.001-07:00

Here are a few poses of a lion I had fun designing.

WOODY WOODPECKER TO THE RESCUE!

2008-10-08T04:25:00.001-07:00

First Quick Draw McGraw, and now Woody Woodpecker is helping me out until I can get some new images up. I drew these poses of this classic character a few years ago. Woody Woodpecker is owned and copyrighted by Walter Lantz and NBC-Universal.

I'LL DO THE THIN'IN AROUND HERE!

2008-10-07T05:52:00.000-07:00

In lieu of putting up a new piece today, here is an illustration I created over six years ago while working at Warner Bros. Consumer Products. Quick Draw McGraw is, of course, owned and copyrighted by Hanna-Barbera and Warner Bros.

BUY SID SIRLOIN NOW THROUGH PAYPAL and EBAY!

2008-10-03T12:31:00.000-07:00

If you live in the Los Angeles area, please visit one the fine comic book retailers listed in the post below. For those not living in Los Angeles, please click here: www.ebay.com. Then select the "Buy it Now" button and follow the easy steps to pay through Paypal. The cost per book is $5.00. Please add $4.00 for shipping. California residents, also please add an additional 8.25% for state sales tax.

If you live in Canada or Mexico, shipping is $9.95. Anywhere else in the world shipping is $11.95.

My new book, SID SIRLOIN AND HIS FRIENDS!

2008-10-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

Jerry Beck, over at his and Amid's must-visit-everyday website, http://www.cartoonbrew.com/,
has graciously posted a kind review of my new, 36-page, self-published book, Sid Sirloin and His Friends. It retails for $5.00 and is in full color. Thank you so much for the mention, Jerry! It is very much appreciated! Below is a list of the fine comic book shops in the Los Angeles area that are selling my book. For those of you not living in the Los Angeles area, please click here:www.ebay.com. Simply click on the "Buy it Now" button and follow the very easy steps to pay through Paypal. Thank you to all who purchase the book, and I hope that you will enjoy it! I sure had fun making it!

If you live in the Los Angeles area, please visit one of the following comic book/ classic toy retailers:

HI DE HO COMICS
http://hidehocomics.com/

BIG KID COLLECTABLE TOY MALL AND RETRO STORE
http://www.bigkidcollectables.com/

LEGACY COMICS AND CARDS
http://www.legacycomics.com/

GOLDEN APPLE COMICS
http://goldenapplecomics.com/

EARTH-2 COMICS
http://www.earth2comics.com/

MELTDOWN COMICS
http://meltcomics.com/

HOUSE OF SECRETS
http://www.artoffiction.com/HOS_index.html

ASTOUNDING FASTASY ART BOOKS AND COMICS
224 E. ORANGE GROVE AVE.
BURBANK, CA. 91502
(818) 953-7234

D.J'S UNIVERSAL COMICS
11038 VENTURA BLVD.
STUDIO CITY, CA. 91604
(818) 761- 3465

ROUGHING IT WITH CAPTAIN CARDINAL

2008-09-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

You know, there are just not enough cartoon superheroes out there, so I am here today to help fill that void! Here are a few rough poses of this feathered character that I designed a while back.

BASSIST HOUND

2008-07-03T14:09:00.000-07:00

Hi, and welcome to my blog! This first piece that I've posted is one that I designed and illustrated with good old pencil and paper, and then finished up in Adobe Illustrator.